Stakeholders hail suspension on ban of vehicles importation through land borders
The suspension of the ban on importation of vehicles through land borders has continued to elicit commendation from some stakeholders in the maritime industry.
According to Lucky Amiwero, President of National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs (NCMDLA), the suspension of the ban by the Senate is not only timely but an exercise of the Senate’s legislative rights as the ban order of vehicles through the land border is in contravention of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Articles X on publication and application of trade regulations
In his words, the provision as contained in the above convention stipulates that each contracting party shall provide opportunities and an appropriate time period to traders and other interested parties to comment on the proposed introduction or amendment of laws and regulations of general application related to the movement, release, and restriction of transit goods.
As stipulated in the WTO convention, trade regulations and amendments with regards to restriction and reversal of Fiscal Policy on Trade, must be subject to process of consultation by trading public and transparency in the timing, so as to accommodate the challenges that will be associated with the directive/regulation.
The restriction of Vehicles through the land border is done with a very short notice, which contravenes the convention and global best practice on reasonable information across the international community, carrier, and shippers, traders etc. that are directly affected by the decision.
Speaking in the same vein, former president of National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), Eugene Nweke also hailed the decision saying the ban on land importation was done to favour some powerful individual while warning that policies should be formulated with inputs of stakeholders in the maritime industry.
“Government should stop making policies because some people have met you to canvass their interest that does not help in nation building, most of the policies we saw in the maritime industry last year represented the interest of some people” he said.
He also opined that the ban on importation of both new and old vehicles through the land borders could endanger the lives of officers and men of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS)
“You don’t make policies that will indirectly push up smuggling activities and exposing officers and men of the Customs to unnecessary risks,” he said
